People's problems- Mr Deputy Mayor, our street is messed up

We, the residents of AECS Layout 2nd Cross, Sanjaynagar, RMV Extension 2nd Stage, had the opportunity to have the Deputy Mayor, M Anand, and the local AEE of the BBMP inspect the condition of our street two months ago, since it has not been asphalted for the past 10-15 years.

As promised, the work began with civil contractors redoing the footpath. The work progressed at a snail’s pace and a road cutter was recently used on one side of the street to remove the old tar. For some reason, the work has stopped and after the recent rain, our street is totally messed up. With deep trenches dug by the earthmover, it has become risky for both vehicle users and pedestrians, especially the elderly and children. We request the BBMP to immediately repair the road and make it walkable.
Usha Archana
Sanjaynagar

Save Nallur tamarind grove
It pains one to see the sacred Nallur tamarind grove, India’s first biodiversity heritage site which survived for centuries, being slowly desecrated thanks to apathy, neglect and lack of political will. Spread over 54 acres, the trees date back to the Chola period and were part of the Nallur fort nearly 800 years ago.

What is unique about these trees is not just their longevity but also their ability to spout ‘adventitious roots’ from the middle of their trunks like banyans and entrench themselves into the soil, providing additional support and prolonging the life of the trees. These trees are much revered by local residents. The authorities and the concerned citizens would do well to clean up the litter, restrict entry to the sacred grove and spare no effort to keep vandals at bay.
N J Ravi Chander
No 4, Maiganda Deva
Mudaliar Road, Fraser Town

Make Banaswadi Road pedestrian friendly
Now that Banaswadi Road in Sevanagar and Jai Bharath Nagar is being repaired, this is the time for the BBMP to consider making the footpaths, pedestrian crossings, kerbs, gutters, bus shelters and median strips in a user friendly and scientific manner, keeping the best interests of pedestrians, the elderly and children in mind.

The BBMP should also have a clear maintenance plan for the facilities and a strict fining plan whenever citizens violate the norms.
Francis, No 5, Muniga Layout, MS Nagar

Never-ending construction in parks
Vijayanagar, especially MC Layout and Marenahalli, has several parks. Unfortunately the parks are being treated as money-spinners by those in power. We have been seeing a lot of unnecessary construction in the park such as demolition and reconstruction of the compound wall, increased area covered by concrete, putting up of unnecessary structures and reducing the area covered by trees and plants. In fact, construction takes place for most part of the year. Cement bags and debris are strewn on plants and on the lawn. Regular users of the park are inconvenienced and houses surrounding the park have to bear noise and dust from the construction site.

In contrast, useful measures such as appointing watchmen and gardeners are never undertaken. When new people come to power, they once again order demolition and reconstruction. As a result, more parts of the park are covered with concrete and areas with greenery are reduced.
Harsha M P, Vijayanagar

Bescom must bear repair cost
On May 31, I lodged a complaint with Bescom for power failure in my house. The technical staff informed me that a cut-out in the electricity pole needs to be replaced, and asked me to bear the cost of this component.
As this issue falls under the domain of Bescom maintenance, I contend that it should be attended to by the utility agency. I request the Bescom PRO to clarify the issue.
R Prabhakar, 687, 7th Main, RBI Layout, JP Nagar 7th Phase

No bus shelter near Esteem Mall
There were two bus shelters on both sides of Ballari Road — one near Esteem Mall and another near Dairy Gate. Both were removed more than a year ago for construction of the foot overbridge. Till date, the authorities concerned have not bothered to reconstruct the bus shelters, leaving commuters to fend for themselves. The nearest bus shelter during the rainy season on the Esteem Mall side is under the foot overbridge entrance. On the other side of the side near Dairy Gate, there is no shelter at all.
The authorities concerned should immediately construct bigger and comfortable bus shelters which can withstand rain and shine, and should be people friendly with proper lighting so that no untoward incidents occur at this place.
Hari Kanniah, Secretary, Hebbal Kempapura Coffee Board Layout Residents’ Welfare Association

The sorry state of Wilson Garden crematorium
The crematorium in Wilson Garden has been in a pathetic condition for almost a decade now. If the crematorium hall is a picture of utter neglect and apathy, the toilets are way too bad. I wonder how the crematorium’s sorry state has missed the sight of politicians, civil servants and corporate companies.

I understand that during the last rites at the crematorium, people are not in the frame of mind to look at the pathetic condition of the crematorium hall. It’s high time we joined hands to give a hygienic and presentable place to the departed souls. Hope our chief minister takes up this matter seriously to offer a presentable and hygienic crematorium and gives special orders to maintain it.
A concerned citizen

Garbage menace on my doorstep
I complained how waste gets accumulated on our doorstep at No 649, 2nd Block, 12th Main, 28th Cross, Rajajinagar, but there was no response. Because of excessive rain, all the garbage from the end of the street gets accumulated right outside our house.

As we are senior citizens, we request the authorities to send the staff to examine the issue and rectify it. It is not possible for us to remove the garbage unless some sweeper arrives. This recurring problem must be resolved by BBMP engineers who will understand our difficulties. Previously, a ramp was constructed to the left of our house to avert accidents caused by speeding vehicles.

Now, garbage up the street trickles down to our house and causes problems during the rain. When the ramp was not built, there was no problem.
Rukmani

Sewer work left unfinished
Deep sewer pipes are being laid on Cline Road but the work has come to a halt. Mud has accumulated on the unfinished work, disrupting traffic and hassling the public. We request the BWSSB to look into the matter urgently.
Residents of Cline Road

Dumping of waste on vacant site
People dump debris and other waste on a vacant site next to my house at No 477, 11th Cross, Girinagar. When it rains, the garbage breeds mosquitoes and poses serious health hazards. BBMP workers just look at the place and go away. It has become a nuisance to the entire street. I urge the authorities concerned to keep the site clean. The site owner is not bothered since he lives elsewhere. As per the rules, the owner should keep the site clean by building a compound, etc. 
C  Subbakrishna,
Former national president, Indian Institute of Materials Management

Road repair damages utility lines
Streets at 31st ‘A’ and 31st ‘B’ Cross in Tilaknagar (ward number 170) are being re-concretised. But citizens have been put to severe hardship because of the apathy of BBMP contractors. During the excavation of the old concrete road, water, electricity and sewage lines were damaged. The respective departments shrugged off the responsibility of pressuring the BBMP to repair the damage. Citizens have to bear the brunt of the leaking lines and get the damage fixed with their own effort and at their own cost. The quality of the work is not satisfactory by any measure.
Mohammed Rafiq

Poor drainage work in Sampangiram Nagar
The drainage line outside my house had some problem that blocked our toilets. We complained to the BBMP and it laid new pipes. Everything was fine. But BBMP workers failed to close the drainage line properly. Now, the street has become full of mud and big stones. We are unable to walk and vehicles get stuck. I request the authorities to resolve this issue.
Shilpa
4th main,14th Cross, Sampangiram Nagar